Indian court issues arrest warrant against cricket captain Dhoni

Mumbai

An Indian court issued an arrest warrant against national cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus, according to local media reports.

The case was filed last year against the 32-year-old after the cover of an Indian magazine carried a picture of him portrayed as a Hindu god.

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Yerraguntla Shyam Sunder, a member of the right-wing Vishva Hindu Parishad party, filed the petition in March this year objecting to the picture of Dhoni.

“The court’s move was necessitated as Dhoni did not accept the summons sent previously. These warrants are only to make him accept and appear before the court,” Gopal Rao, the advocate representing Yerraguntla Shyam Sunder, told the Hindustan Times.

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Roa also told the Hindustan Times that if Dhoni refused to appear before the court an arrest warrant which did not allow bail could be issued.

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It is not the first time Dhoni has been in the news this year for reasons other than scoring runs or taking catches. His name was also mentioned during the India Supreme Court's hearing into allegations of corrupt conduct in the Indian Premier League, in which he is captain of the Chennai Super Kings franchise.

A fortnight ago he was listed by Forbes magazine as the 22nd highest paid athlete in the world, and the only cricketer in the top 100, with earnings of $US30 million in 2013. The magazine said $26m of Dhoni's earnings had arrived through endorsements.

The wicketkeeper-batsman is due to lead India in Australia this summer, when they will play four Tests against Michael Clarke's No.1 ranked team and then take part in a one-day tri-series with Australia and England in the lead-up to the 2015 World Cup.

In their last meeting in Tests Dhoni's men thrashed Australia 4-0 on the subcontinent last year, but they were defeated by the same margin by Australia on their most recent visit here in the summer of 2011/12.

The first Test between Australia and India is set down to start at the Gabba on December 4.